


It Goes Something Like This

by psychicdreamsandangelwings



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl may be a bit of a romantic, Daryl panics, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, but Rick knows what to do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-03-10 10:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3286244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicdreamsandangelwings/pseuds/psychicdreamsandangelwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically, just a bunch of Rickyl drabbles and oneshots I've compiled into one fic because why not. Each chapter can stand alone as it's own story and there's no real order to it. It'll say complete, but I'll be adding to it whenever I get an idea. Hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written a lot of different dabbles/one shots that I didn't want to make an actual story, so I decided to make this. As of right now I only have fluffy stuff planned, but there could be some angstier ones later on. Each chapter will have warnings if it's needed and I'll be adding on to the tags as I add more fics. 
> 
> Enjoy

This isn't how first kisses are supposed to go, Daryl figures, at least not compared to what he’s seen on the big screen. And maybe it’s stupid and girly for Daryl to think that anything that happens on TV is supposed to happen in real life, but he’s so inexperienced when it comes to people touching him _like this_ you can’t really blame him for being so damn naïve. Plus, his lips are locked with Rick’s, aka the best man on the damn planet, and he wants nothing but the best for him.

From what Daryl knows about first kisses, they’re supposed to be sweet and tantalizing like he'd seen in movies and TV shows. The girl’s leg is supposed to float up of its own accord and the guy is supposed to pull her close, wrapping his arms around her waist in a way that just screams passion, while fireworks explode overhead and all that romantic shit that teenage girls eat up happens.

'Course he's never kissed anyone, but he's seen it happen plenty of times. Merle always had some curvy broad on his arm that he'd picked up at the bar, showing her off in a way that made Daryl’s skin crawl. Not that they're kisses had ever looked like they do in the movies, oh no, more like a badly made porno. The kisses he’d seen them exchange had always been full of teeth and grabby hands and pushy limbs, Daryl always thought it looked more painful than anything. Daryl had sworn to himself that if he ever found someone he was comfortable enough to kiss, he’d make sure he made their first kiss worthwhile because it had to be someone pretty damn amazing if Daryl was willing to get comfortable with them and the whoever it was actually wanted to kiss him, Daryl of all people. 

That’s probably the real reason why Daryl’s so admit about this going smoothly. Not because he wants to have a romantic first kiss, but because he wants this kiss to be fucking amazing for Rick. He wants him to enjoy himself, not get attacked by a guy who doesn't know what the fuck he’s doing, because Rick deserves at least that much for putting up with Daryl’s nervous ways.

Daryl's not sure how men kiss, not sure if it's supposed to happen like it did in the movies, but he's sure as shit that he doesn't want his first kiss to turn into the kisses he'd seen Merle exchange with his one night stands. No, this was Rick Grimes, his Rick, the man who'd gone slower than molasses in winter when it came to being intimate with Daryl, all because he knew Daryl wasn't that comfortable with all this touchy feely shit. He deserved to have a good kiss and like everything Daryl touches, he’s already fucking it up two seconds into it.

Daryl's panicking, he doesn't know what to do. He feels like his nose is in the way, his feet are probably positioned wrong, and by God what the hell is he supposed to do with _his fucking hands._ They’re stuck firmly to his sides, like he’s trying to win the world record for the best plank, and he doesn't know what to do. Rick’s eyes are closed, but his are wide open because he’s too fucking panicked and nervous to close them and risk fucking everything up.

He's failing, fucking everything up like he always knew he would, and he's two seconds away from running like a coward. Daryl may not know how this first kiss business is supposed to go down, but he’s fairly certain one of the participants isn't supposed to freeze up like a block of ice. Daryl’s sure Rick’s just gonna push him away, forget the whole thing and go on his merry way, but Rick does something that is so fucking Rick Daryl’s not sure why he didn’t see it coming.

He fixes everything, and fixes it in a way that doesn't make Daryl feel like an incompetent moron, because that’s the kind of shit that Rick does. Rick shifts his head slightly so their noses aren't awkwardly bumping together, he moves Daryl's hands, without breaking their lip lock, to the small of his back, and brings his own hands up so they're resting on the back of Daryl's neck. This position is so much better, so much more comfortable, and Daryl couldn't keep his eyes open to save his life. His lids slip shut, his hands tighten around Rick, and he finally feels like this is going to be their perfect first kiss.

This is so much better than what he could have dreamed of. They're in the middle of the woods near the prison, walkers could be coming at them any second, but for once Daryl doesn't care. All at once, Daryl feels his panic leave him. His heart slows down, his stomach stops turning, and his mind stops overflowing with everything wrong he's doing and he just lets himself _feel_ Rick. It feels so damn good, Daryl doesn't know how he's ever going to be able to pull away from him. Rick's lips are chapped and his beard scratches at his face, but he smells good, so good, and Daryl finds the scent intoxicating. He must have washed with that new soap Glenn found because Rick's never smelt quit like this.

All the sudden Rick's lips start to move and Daryl feels all that panic start to well up inside of him again because God damn it he doesn't know how to kiss properly. But then Rick does this thing with his tongue that makes Daryl moan low in his throat and his knees wobble. He feels his fingers twitch against Rick's back and Daryl can't help the sound he makes as Rick opens his mouth against his. Like a valve Daryl starts reciprocating, letting instinct take its course. It's so fucking good, kissing another man like this, and Daryl’s pretty damn sure that he's never gonna wanna stop kissing Rick fucking Grimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that happened. I tried to make Daryl romanticish without going ooc and something tells me I may have failed, but oh well. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought.


	2. I love you

The words echo through Daryl's mind, replaying over and over again on an endless loop. He feels like he's at the end of a tunnel, listening to the echo of someone else's words. Daryl can picture the words spinning and twirling as they move through his head, leaving a wispy trail of confusion in its wake.

Daryl’s not sure what he's supposed to do, what he's supposed to say, what's supposed to happen now. He always does this, freezes up and ruins everything. He feels like such a screw up. Daryl’s mouth opens, closes, opens again, like he's a fish out of water gasping for air. His body is starting to clamp up and he can physically feel his chest tightening as his throat constricts. There's no way he's getting any words out. He's gonna fuck this up, like he's fucked up everything else he and Rick have ever done together, and Daryl feels like yet another failure. Again. Like always.

The two of them hardly ever get alone time like this, time where it’s just the two of them with nobody else butting in, and Daryl's glad they're alone. If Rick would have said something like this in front of everyone, Daryl would have run the other way the second he started clamping up. He'd look like a fool, feel like a fool, and who knows what Rick would take that as. What they have is good, what they have is the best thing that's ever happened to Daryl, and the last thing he wants is to do something that'll fuck it up. Daryl's sure he's gonna fuck it up anyway, but at least with only Rick here nobody else will see how incompetent Daryl is.

Daryl searches Rick's face for any sign of regret, any sign of this just being some kind of accident. There isn't one though, not a single one, and Daryl's more confused than he's ever been before. Surely Rick couldn't have meant it, how could he? Daryl's never heard those words in his life. Not from his Mama, not from his Daddy, and certainly not from Merle. That’s just not the kind of family he came from. He doesn't know how to react, what he's supposed to say, and Daryl can feel the beginnings of a panic attack coming on.

But then Rick's there, fixing everything like he always does. He always makes everything better, just by simply being there. He's got his hands on Daryl's hips, thumbs dipping under the hem of his jeans so he can rub softly at Daryl's hip bones. It only takes Daryl a second to realize what Rick's doing, he's calming Daryl down without out right telling him to calm down. Rick always seems to know what Daryl needs before Daryl does, and he's still not sure how he's able to do that.

Rick's hands tighten slightly on his hips and Daryl finds it easier to breathe, easier to think about what's just happened. He knows Rick doesn't say anything if he doesn’t mean it, knows that there's no way in hell he's going to tell him something like that that he doesn't mean. Daryl replays the words in his mind, examining each one for any hidden meaning. Who knew three words could render him utterly speechless, could make him so confused.

Now that Daryl is calm enough to do so he starts to think. He thinks about the way Rick feels when he bends down to press their lips together. He thinks about falling asleep next to him, their bodies touching in a comforting embrace. He thinks about those times he'll wake up in the middle of the night and just stare at the beauty that is Rick Grimes, the way his hair falls around his face and the soft sounds he makes in his sleep that let him know he's okay. He thinks about how Judith runs to him, throws her arms around his neck and squeals excitedly knowing that her Daddy came home safe. Thinks about how Rick will pull him into their embrace, how Judith will press her face against his neck and giggle. He thinks about how Carl is slowly starting to look to him as a second father. He thinks about how his chest hurts when he's away from Rick and the kids, how it seems to magically feel better when he's back with them.

He thinks about all this, thinks about all the things that make him feel the way he does about Rick, and he knows there's not a doubt in his mind, he feels the same way. So he smiles, steps back slightly so he can look directly in Rick's eyes and opens his mouth to speak. "I love you to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was kind of cheesy and probably could have been better, but oh well.
> 
> Let me know what you thought.


	3. The Way He Sleeps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically two different ways Daryl sleeps. They're not necessarily supposed to be in the same night, but they could be seen that way if you want them to be.

Rick and Daryl are together for a while, nearly five months, before Daryl starts sleeping with him and really, that’s all they do. Sleep. Daryl’s made it clear he’s not ready for sex yet and Rick’s not going to force him into anything. He’s in this relationship for the long run, he’s not going to ruin that by moving too fast too soon.

Rick realizes just over a week in to this new arrangement of theirs that Daryl’s a dirty blanket hog. He knows he doesn't mean to, that it’s just instinct from back when he had to fight for every little thing he had, but he definitely ends up stealing the blankets from him most nights. The first time Rick wakes up in the middle of the night, freezing cold and confused, he’s a little mad. Did Daryl _really_ need the entire comforter to himself?

But then he catches sight of Daryl, sleeping peacefully next to him with the blankets wrapped around him like a little cocoon of safety, and he can’t stop the smile that spreads across his face. Daryl looks so peaceful, _so damn innocent_ , and Rick decides he won’t interrupt this, can’t interrupt this. When Daryl’s asleep, he often forgets who he is now. He slips back into that scared child he was way back when, the person who had to fight for everything he wanted, and that includes control of the blankets. It's not something he does on purpose, it's a habit of his he can't seem to break and Rick's not going to hold it against him.

Instead of trying to get some of the blanket Daryl's got and risk waking him up, Rick carefully gets out of bed, not wanting to wake up Daryl, and grabs the extra blanket they keep underneath the bed. He slides back into bed beside Daryl, wrapping himself up in the new blanket, and quickly settles back into place at his partner’s side like nothing is different. Rick lets himself watch Daryl for a few more minutes, basking in the innocence Daryl displays when he’s fast asleep, before he closes his eyes and slips back to sleep.

* * *

Daryl wakes up in the middle of the night, like he does nearly every night, and instantly knows he’s not going back to bed any time soon. He feels like he's been asleep for five minutes, eyelids and limbs heavy from lack of sleep, and knows that's all the sleep he's going to get tonight. He’s not sure what time it is but judging from the darkness of his cell he figures he’s only been asleep for a few hours, insomnia preventing him from getting much more than that. 

He’s exhausted, bone-tired, but he knows he’s not going to get anymore sleep. He'll only end up tossing and turning for hours, which will inevitably wake Rick up, until the sun comes up and it's time for him to wake up.  He knows Rick would offer to sleep somewhere else so Daryl can toss and turn until he passes out, but there's no way he's going to be able to sleep by himself. He's gotten used to sharing a bed with Rick, of his warm and comforting presence resting against his side. There's no way he'd be comfortable in his own bed, not when he's this used to sharing it with someone. 

Waking Rick up is the last thing Daryl wants, Rick deserves peaceful sleep more than he does, so he does what he always does when this happens. Daryl carefully slips out of bed, trying his best not to jostle Rick any in the process, and slips on his boots. Once he’s out of bed he looks down at Rick, smiling softly at the sight of his sleeping face. He always looks so peaceful like this, in the midst of sleep, and Daryl will take any chance he can to watch him.

Daryl watches him for a few seconds, resisting the urge to run a hand across his face, before he pulls the blanket up so it’s covering Rick as much as it can. Once he’s sure Rick’s adequately taken care of, Daryl grabs his crossbow from where it's leaning up against the wall and quietly retreats from their cell. Daryl's quiet as he makes his way outside, not wanting to wake up anyone else. He’s the only one awake so he knows it’s late, maybe three in the morning, and everyone else is dead asleep. 

Daryl steps outside, letting the cool air wash over him hoping it will re-energize him. It's cool outside, but not chilly, and the moon hangs high overhead. He can hear the soft sound of crickets, something he finds oddly peaceful. He’s fairly certain Tyreese is on watch right now and he figures he might as well relieve him, there’s no reason that both of them should remain awake. Daryl yawns heavily as he makes his way up the watch, hiding it behind his hand. If Tyreese knew he was as tired as he feels he'd make him go back into the prison. Daryl doesn't care about how tired he is. As long as Rick’s sleeping peacefully, Daryl doesn't mind losing a few hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this is crap and I have no idea where it even came from, but it's there.


	4. Kisses

Daryl’s not ashamed of Rick, how the hell could he be? The man is practically a sex god and the best damn man Daryl’s ever met. He gives and he gives and he gives and hardly asks for anything in return because that's the kind of man Rick Grimes is. He loves his people and he loves his prison and he’d do anything to make sure that they remain standing at the end of the day. Daryl’s proud of him, proud to be the man he calls his, and nothing that Rick could say or do would change that.

But this relationship thing isn't easy for him. Loving Rick is basically the easiest thing Daryl's ever done but showing it in intimate touches isn't. He's never had this, someone who stuck around for more than just sex, and it's hard for him to act on his urges. He’s never had someone he could kiss whenever he wanted, never had anyone that was his in the way that Rick is, and it’s both thrilling and terrifying at the same.

It’d only taken that first time together for Daryl to realize he’s a little addicted to Rick’s lips. He’s never really kissed anyone, everyone he’s ever been with had just been quick fucks when his needs got to be too much for him to handle himself, and suddenly going from never being able to kiss anyone to having someone who was always kissable is disorienting and nearly impossible to handle when you add Daryl’s nerves to the equation.

So when they’re alone and Daryl’s able to push down his shyness long enough to make a move on his man his insides pool together in a giant jumble of heat and his cheeks darken. This comes easy to Rick, to him relationships are almost like a second nature, but it doesn’t to Daryl. It takes everything in Daryl to just gather up the courage to kiss Rick randomly, without being provoked, but it's something he's gotten better at as their time together lengthens. 

Daryl glances around the common room, searching for anyone who may witness what he’s about to do. It’s not that their relationship is a secret, because it’s not, he’d just much rather do this with no one else looking. Once he establishes that they're completely alone Daryl stops Rick mid-sentence by placing his fingers on his chin softly, Daryl's cue to Rick that he's about to kiss him. Daryl turns Rick’s head towards him and their lips connect in a simple, chaste kiss. It last only a few seconds and Daryl can feel Rick’s lips smile against his as they both pull away.

“I love you,” Rick says, ghosting his thumb across Daryl’s chapped bottom lip.

“I love you,” Daryl replies.


End file.
